Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/254

226 and lack of faith and preference of another to me; for, by Allah, on whom we call for help against that which was of thy free-will, thou didst transgress against the love of me; and so peace be on thee!” Then she showed me the presents and things of price he had sent her, which were of the value of thirty thousand dinars. I saw her again after this, and Zemreh had married her.’

Quoth Er Reshid, ‘Had not Zemreh been beforehand with us, I had certainly had to do with her myself.’ ISAAC OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND THE DEVIL.

[Quoth Isaac ben Ibrahim el Mausili], I was in my house one night in the winter-time, when the clouds spread themselves [over the sky] and the rains poured down in torrents, as from the mouths of water-skins, and the folk forbore to come and go about the ways by reason of that which was therein of rain and mire. Now I was heavy at heart for that none of my brethren came to me nor could I go to them, for the mud and mire: so I said to my servant, ‘Bring me wherewithal I may divert myself.’ So he brought me meat and drink, but I had no heart to eat, without some one to bear me company, and I ceased not to look out of window and watch the ways till nightfall, when I bethought myself of a damsel belonging to one of the sons of El Mehdi, of whom I was enamoured and who was skilled in singing and playing upon instruments of music, and said to myself, ‘Were she here with us to-night, my joy would be complete and my night would be abridged of the melancholy and restlessness that are upon me.’

At this moment one knocked at the door, saying, ‘Shall